Foot and ankle abnormalities among a cohort of Nigerian school children: an epidemiological study
- PDF / 443,084 Bytes
- 7 Pages / 595.276 x 790.866 pts Page_size
- 3 Downloads / 207 Views
ORIGINAL PAPER
Foot and ankle abnormalities among a cohort of Nigerian school children: an epidemiological study A. Bafor 1 & C. N. Chibuzom 1 Received: 30 August 2019 / Accepted: 6 April 2020 # SICOT aisbl 2020
Abstract Purpose Foot and ankle problems in children are a common cause for paediatric orthopaedic referrals. There is a variation in the reported epidemiology of foot and ankle abnormalities across the globe. The prevalence in our locality was unknown. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence pattern of foot and ankle problems in our locality as well as compare with patterns from other geographical locations to determine the presence or otherwise, of differences among varying populations. Methods One thousand seven hundred and fifty-eight Nigerian primary school children aged between five and 13 years were clinically evaluated, checking for weight, height and calculation of BMI. The heel axis angle and hallux angle were measured clinically while determination of flatfeet or high arched feet was made from analysis of foot imprints. Results Hindfoot valgus was the commonest abnormality of the foot and ankle in this population with a prevalence of 34.2% and predominantly in females and older children, while hallux valgus and a high arched foot were the least common abnormalities at 0.6 and 0.7% prevalence rates, respectively. We found no statistically significant relationship between BMI and hindfoot valgus. Conclusion Hindfoot valgus is the commonest foot and ankle abnormality among primary school children in our locality. Keywords Hindfoot valgus . Flatfoot . Hallux valgus . High arched foot
Introduction Foot abnormalities in children are a common source of parental concern, and indeed account for the majority of general practice consultations in the UK [1]. This is especially so when the abnormality is easily noticed. There are numerous causes of congenital foot anomalies and these range from genetic malformations to flexible, easy to correct foot deformities which result from abnormal positioning in-utero. They may be isolated occurrences or may be part of syndrome complexes like VATER, Apert syndrome, etc. Acquired foot abnormalities may result from conditions like poliomyelitis, neurological conditions such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida as well as trauma. There are several considerations for what constitutes a normal foot and these range from aesthetics to the expectations of
* A. Bafor [email protected] 1
Department of Orthopaedics & Trauma, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, PMB1111, Benin City, Nigeria
functional demand from a societal perspective [2, 3]. A normal foot may be considered to be one that allows normal gait, has no pain or significant deformity and has had no significant history of surgery or trauma [4]. Deformities like clubfoot, pes cavus, flatfoot and metatarsus adductus represent some of the more commonly seen foot pathologies in general [5, 6]. Prompt identification and treatment of foot abnormalities prevent the progression of otherwise e
Data Loading...
